Stephen Montoya
Journalism has its perks. I’ve floated in a hot air balloon over Albuquerque, NM, and even taken a ride in a 1932 Ford tri-motor, the kind of plane that looks like it could have starred in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Last week, I added another feather to that cap, a WWII C-47 at Meacham International Airport for the Christmas Light Flight, a decade-long annual tradition over Fort Worth and Arlington.
The plane itself is a sight, a vintage C-49J, a WWII military transport based on the iconic Douglas DC-3, built to carry troops and executives during the Second World War. But the real draw isn’t the interior lights strung up for the holidays; it’s the view from above as the aircraft glides over neighborhoods lit up in festive splendor. From the city centers of Fort Worth to Arlington’s interlocking streets, the lights shimmer like a terrestrial constellation.
Karolina Marek, the plane’s social media manager and crew chief, guided me through the experience with a mix of history and reverence. This plane has been through a lot. Restored by Greatest Generation Aircraft around 2003, the fuselage, radio room, and interiors were returned to their period-accurate glory. A navigation dome on top of the plane served as the original GPS, a celestial guide for pilots using the stars to navigate.
“The plane was a troop carrier and executive transport,” Marek explains. “It doesn’t have a cargo door, which is what you’d see on other variants. Everything here is for the people who rode in it. And yes, it’s restored, period-accurate down to the last rivet.”
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The C-47 is rare, only 138 of this specific C-49 variant were ever made, and finding parts for its 1820 Cyclone engines is no small feat. Volunteers of Greatest Generation Aircraft keep it airborne, ensuring the legacy of WWII veterans lives on. Marek describes the maintenance as “strict,” with inspections twice a year to adhere to regulations. “All the money from ticket sales goes straight into keeping this aircraft flying,” she says. “Fuel, oil, parts, everything. It’s a nonprofit mission, preserving history and honoring the men who served.”
The Christmas Light Flight has been a Fort Worth tradition for a decade. “It started because we wanted people to experience the city from above during the holidays,” Marek says. “The spirit is unmatchable, flying on a vintage aircraft over Christmas lights, it’s that nostalgia everyone loves.” The flight path circles downtown Fort Worth, then arcs over Arlington, giving passengers a bird’s-eye view of neighborhoods transformed by holiday cheer.
Greatest Generation Aircraft
Greatest Generation Aircraft doesn’t present itself like a museum piece under glass. It feels more like a working memory. Founded in 2008 by eight men who believed that forgetting was the greater risk, the organization has grown into a volunteer-driven effort fueled by grease-stained hands and long weekends at the Vintage Flying Museum. One of the most arresting details isn’t visible from the tarmac at all. Veterans who once flew or maintained these aircraft signed their names inside the fuselage. Many of them are gone now. Their handwriting remains, pressed into aluminum, turning a short sightseeing flight into something closer to a conversation across time.
Every weekend, volunteers converge at the Vintage Flying Museum to maintain aircraft and prepare for flights, airshows, parades, and even parachute jump operations. “Warbirds are an expensive passion,” Marek admits, “but every part, every hour spent maintaining these planes, is worth it to honor those who fought for our freedom.”
Flying in this C-47, it’s impossible not to feel the soul Marek describes. From the comfort of modern seats, a far cry from the wooden benches soldiers once endured, the plane carries you not just through the night sky, but through history itself.
“The spirit of this airplane is special,” Marek says. “Out of all the planes I’ve flown, she’s my all-time favorite. She has a soul.”
